WARNING
●Never remove or turn the key to the
LOCK position while driving. The steer-
ing wheel will lock (for models with a
steering lock mechanism) . This may
cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle and could result in serious ve-
hicle damage or personal injury.
● Never place the ignition switch in the
LOCK position while driving. The steer-
ing wheel will lock (for models with a
steering lock mechanism) . This may
cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle and could result in serious ve-
hicle damage or personal injury.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch cannot be turned to the LOCK position
until the shift lever is moved to the P (Park)
position.
● When moving the ignition switch to the
LOCK position, make sure the shift lever is in
the P (Park) position.
● When removing the key from the ignition
switch, make sure the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. When the ignition switch cannot be turned to the
LOCK position:
1. Shift the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
2. Turn the ignition switch slightly in the ON direction.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK posi- tion.
4. Remove the key if it is inserted in the ignition switch.
If the ignition switch is turned to the LOCK posi-
tion, the shift lever cannot be moved from the P
(Park) position.
The shift lever can be moved if the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position and the
foot brake pedal is depressed.KEY POSITIONS
LOCK: Normal parking position (0)
OFF: (Not used) (1)
This position activates electrical accessories
such as the radio when the engine is not running.
ON: Normal operating position (3)
This position turns on the ignition system and the
electrical accessories.
LIC2717
IGNITION SWITCH (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-11
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) , D (Drive) , or (M)
Manual shift mode. Always depress the
brake pedal until shifting is completed.
Failure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
● Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. this may cause a loss of control.
● Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is re-
versing. This could cause an accident or
damage the transmission.
CAUTION
● To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle; when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
● Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and smooth
operation.
The recommended operating procedures for this
transmission are shown on the following pages.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the shift
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This CVT is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any driving
position while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or
ACC (if equipped) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal, and then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
WARNING
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) , D (Drive) or L (Low)
position. Always depress the brake
pedal until shifting is completed. Fail-
ure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-18Starting and driving
●Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
● Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while vehicle is mov-
ing forward and P (Park) or D (Drive)
position while the vehicle is reversing.
This could cause an accident or damage
the transmission.
CAUTION
● To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle; when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
● Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal, push and press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever from the P (Park) position to
any of the desired shift positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever is
in any position while the engine is not
running. Failure to do so could cause the
vehicle to move unexpectedly or roll away
and result in serious personal injury or
property damage.
CAUTION
Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position
only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped
Use the P (Park) shift lever position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal must be depressed and
the shift lever button pushed in to move the
shift lever from N (Neutral) or any drive
position to P (Park) . Apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake
first, then move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
R (Reverse) position only when the vehicle
is completely stopped.
LIC2628
Starting and driving5-19
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch (if so
equipped)
When the O/D OFF switch is pushed with the
shift lever in the D (Drive) position, the
light in the instrument panel illuminates. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Overdrive OFF indica-
tor light” in the “Instruments and controls” section
of this manual.
Use the Overdrive off mode when you need im-
proved engine braking.
To turn off the Overdrive off mode, push the O/D
OFF switch again. The
indicator light will
turn off. Each time the engine is started, or when the shift
lever is shifted to any position other than D
(Drive) , the Overdrive off mode will be automati-
cally turned off.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion down into a lower gear, depending on the
vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperatures with heavy
loads, such as when towing a trailer) , engine
power and, under some conditions, vehicle
speed will be decreased automatically to reduce
the chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelerator
pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed may be
limited.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the CVT will
not be shifted into the selected driving position.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme con-
ditions, such as excessive wheel spinning
and subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe
system may be activated. The MIL may
come on to indicate the fail-safe mode is
activated. For additional information, refer
to “Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this
manual. This will occur even if all electrical
circuits are functioning properly. In this
case, place the ignition switch in the OFF
position and wait for 10 seconds. Then
place the ignition switch back in the ON
position. The vehicle should return to its
normal operating condition. If it does not
return to its normal operating condition,
have the transmission checked and re-
paired, if necessary. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
LSD2246
Starting and driving5-21
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature protec-
tion mode or fail-safe operation occurs,
vehicle speed may be gradually reduced.
The reduced speed may be lower than
other traffic, which could increase the
chance of a collision. Be especially careful
when driving. If necessary, pull to the side
of the road at a safe place and allow the
transmission to return to normal opera-
tion, or have it repaired if necessary.
WARNING
●Be sure the parking brake is fully re-
leased before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
● Do not release the parking brake from
outside the vehicle.
● Do not use the shift lever in place of the
parking brake. When parking, be sure
the parking brake is fully engaged.
● To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and /or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high enough to
cause a significant risk of injury or
death to people and pets. To engage:
Firmly depress the parking brake.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
LSD0158
PARKING BRAKE
5-22Starting and driving
Adjusts the engine and transmission points to
enhance performance. Press the SPORT button
on the instrument panel to activate. “SPORT”
appears in the speedometer for two seconds.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may be
reduced.The ECO mode helps to enhance the fuel
economy by controlling the throttle sensitivity and
transmission points.
To turn on the ECO mode, push the ECO mode
switch. The ECO mode indicator light (on the
speedometer) will remain lit while the mode is
active.
To turn off the ECO mode, push the ECO mode
switch again. The ECO mode indicator light (on
the speedometer) will turn off.
The ECO mode cannot be turned off while the
accelerator pedal is depressed, even if the ECO
mode switch is pushed to OFF. Release the
accelerator pedal to turn off the ECO mode.The ECO mode will turn off automatically if a
malfunction occurs in the system.
Turn off the ECO mode, or depress the accelera-
tor pedal fully when:
● driving with a heavy load of passengers or
cargo in the vehicle
● driving on a steep uphill slope
● ECO mode may affect air conditioner perfor-
mance
NOTE:
Selecting this drive mode will not necessar-
ily improve fuel economy as many driving
factors influence its effectiveness.
LIC2417LIC2416
SPORT MODE SWITCH (if so
equipped) ECO MODE SWITCH (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-23
WARNING
●For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with the
engine running. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
● Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2–wheel dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamometers
used by some states for emissions test-
ing) or similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off the
ground. Make sure that you inform the
test facility personnel that your vehicle
is equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using the
wrong test equipment may result in
drive train damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
AWD LOCK SWITCH OPERATIONS
The AWD LOCK switch is located on the lower
side of the instrument panel. This switch is used
to select the AUTO or LOCK mode depending on
the driving conditions.
LOCK mode:
The AWD LOCK indicator light will illuminate.
AUTO mode:
The AWD LOCK indicator light will turn off.
LIC2645
5-44Starting and driving
WARNING
●When driving straight, shift the AWD
LOCK switch to AUTO. Do not operate
the AWD LOCK switch when making a
turn or backing up.
● Do not operate the AWD LOCK switch
with the front wheel spinning.
● Engine idling speed is high while warm-
ing up the engine. Be especially careful
when starting or driving on slippery
surfaces.
● When turning the vehicle in LOCK mode
on paved roads, you may feel a braking
effect. This is a normal condition of the
AWD model.
WARNING
● Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
● Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park) . Fail-
ure to do so could cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly or roll away and re-
sult in an accident. Make sure the shift
lever has been pushed as far forward as
it can go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal. ●
Never leave the engine running while
the vehicle is unattended.
● To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high enough to
cause a significant risk of injury or
death to people and pets.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
5-46Starting and driving